Automobile-tire.



VENN K. HOVER/OF FREDONIA, NEW YORK.

AUTOMOBILE-TIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

Applicationled February 12, 1918. Serial N 0,216,704.

To (1N Hilf-'.0111 it may concern.'

Be it known thatl I, VENN K., Hoven, a citizen-ot the United States, residing at Fredonia. inthe county fofl Chautauqua,

State of New York. have invented certain new and useful lmprovementsyin Automobile-Tires, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying .drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon. i

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in automobile tires and more particularly toa tire. which is constructed so as to prevent skidding.

An object 0f the invention is to provide an automobile tire wherein the weight carried b v the tire is supported on a tread having spaced ribs disposed substantialhv at the extreme side limits of the traction surface of the tire and wherein the usual high center is avoided.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tire of the above character wherein'the outer side walls of the ribs are substantiallvY vertical and wherein theinner side walls are also snbstantiall \v vertical and the channel between the ribs is provided with spaced cross bars, `the extreme height of each bar being less than the height of the adjacent portions of the ribs` so that the weight supported bv-the tire is carried b v the ribs.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part. be hereinafter more fully disclosed. v

ln the drawings which show by wa)1 of illustration one embodiment of my invention;

Figure l is a plan view of a section of an automobile tire having mv improve-ments embodied therein: and

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same.

in the drawings l have shown a segment onl)7 of the outer casing; of a tire. So far the materials forming" the tire are Vconcerned. theirY .may be of the usual construction and l have not illustrated in detail such construction, The invention is directed wholly to the shapingr or construction of the tread portion of the tire. This tread portion of the tire is formed with two spaced ribs land 2. side edle of the rib l to the outer 4side edge of the rib 2 substantiallv equal to the surface traction of the tire when under load.

The distance from the outer' The outer side wall. 3 of the rib l is substantially vertical, while the outer side wall L of the rib 2 is also substantially vertical.

The inner side wallsv and 6 of` the ribs 1,.

and 2 respectively, are likewise vertical. These inner side walls 5 and 6 form the side walls of a channel 7, which e/Xtends completely about the central portion of the tire. It is to be Lnoted that the ribs l and 2 are .continuous and the sidey walls 3 and -L are unbroken. Located atspaced intervals in the channel 7 are bars or cross ribs S. These bars as clearly shown in Fig. 2 are radially7 within the extreme outer surface of the ribs l and 2. The outer edges of the bars or cross ribs 8 as indicated at 9 are slightl)v curved throughouta portion of the length of the ribs or cross bars. These ribs or cross bars are formed as a part of the .ribs l and 2 at the points l0 and ll respectively. The cross bars are also cut awav or inclined at 12 and 13 respectively.

B v the construction described above, l have provided a tire wherein there. is no high center and the entire weight supported by the tire is carried by the ribs l and 2. These ribs are spaced a considerable distance and the channel between the ribs is of considerable depth. The depth of this channel will depend upon the size of the tire. but it should.'

be sutiicient so that a considerable portion of the road surface will pass into the channel and the inner vertical wall of one 0r the other of the ribs engaging* this portion or the road surface aids in the preventing; of skidding. The walls 3 and l even when the tire is under load will remain substantially vertical and therefore the tire. will present a vertical surface, which when embedded in the road material will effectively prevent the side skiddingr. The cross bars or cross ribs through engagement. with the road material, aid in the Q-rip of the tire on the road material, but. these. cross ribs are not of sutiicient height to interfere in anv wav with the nonvskidding features of the .supporting` ribs 1 and 2. In other words. the inner side wall of the rib becomes eifective to prevent the side slip of the tire. The inclined ends ofthe bars or cross ribs provide the continuous.

inner wall. which may engage the road material i accomplish tligresult stated. l

Bv in v improved form of tread the outer wall of one rib and the inner wall of the other rib effectively prevent -tlie side slip of under heavy load, for the reason that these.

spaced ribs are disposed at substantiallythe side limits of the 'tractionsurface of the tire.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of const-ructionniay be made Without departing from the spirit-0f the invention as set forth in the appendedfclaiins.

Having thus described my invention, what I claiin as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. An automobiletire having a tread coniprising spaced continuous ribs located substantiallyl at the side limitseei the 'traction surface of the tire. the surface of said tread between said ribs being disposed Wholly within the radial extent 'of the ribs, the outer and inner Walls of said ribs being substantially vertical and continuous, and cross bars extending between the ribs, said cross bars at their innervend portions being' integral With the ribs, said cross bars having their outer -endfportions cut away andinclined relative to the ribs so that the inner walls of the-.ribs are exposed.

2'. An' automobile. tire having a tread comprising spaced continuous ribs located substantially at the side limits' of the traction surface of the. tire, the surface ofllsaid tread between said ribs being disposed Wholly wit-hin the radial extent of the ribs, the outer and inner walls of said ribs' being substantially `vertical and continuous, and cross bars extending between the ribs, ysaid cross bars at their inner portions being integral with the rlbs, the outer edge of each cross bar being y slightly curved lthroughout ajportion of the" length thereof and having their outer end portions eut away and inclined relative te the ribs so that the inner Walls of the ribs areexposed.

i In testlmony whereof, I do aiixiny signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

' vVENDI K. HOVER.

lVitnesses:

JAMES S. PIERCE, M. J. PANGBORNJ 

